ACA D EM I C I NFORM AT I ON A ND P O LICIES student, parent/legal guardian, advisor and Head of the Upper School. Seniors must also obtain the College Counselor's signature. b. If a student participates in a Concentration, the Concentration Coordinator's signature is required. c. Changing teachers of the same course also requires the Dean of Faculty’s signature. d. Switching from one level of a discipline to another level of the same discipline (for example, Spanish 2 to Spanish 1) also requires the signature of the Dean of Faculty. DEADLINES FOR DROPPING CLASSES
Classes may be dropped without penalty within five school days after the School posts mid-semester grade updates. Transcripts of classes dropped after these dates and through either November 15 or April 15 will indicate that the student has “withdrawn passing” or “withdrawn failing.” Classes may not be dropped after either November 15 in the first semester or April 15 in the second semester. Seniors who drop classes are responsible for notifying the colleges to which they have applied if those colleges already possess the seniors’ transcripts. DEADLINE FOR ADDING CLASSES
No class, other than a class comparable to one in a student’s current schedule, may be added after its sixth meeting. TRANSFER DEADLINES AND GRADE TRANSFER POLICIES BETWEEN COMPARABLE CLASSES
Students may transfer from one level of a comparable class to another (i.e. classes with decidedly similar content but taught at different academic levels, such as AP US History and US History Honors, or Algebra 2 Advanced Honors and Algebra 2 Honors) up to and including the 12th meeting day of the new class. In this scenario, students will begin the new course without a grade. If students choose to transfer after the 12th meeting date up to the end of the fifth week of classes, then students' grades would transfer with them. In both scenarios, teachers are permitted to have students make up work for the class that has been added. After the fifth week of classes, students may not transfer between comparable classes. If students wish to change from one comparable yearlong class to another after the first semester, they should speak with their advisor and the appropriate Grade-Level Dean before second semester classes begin. Should questions about comparable classes arise, the Head of the Upper School/Middle School will determine whether one course is comparable to another. MAKE-UP WORK
Any student switching into a class already in progress may be asked to make up all significant work (i.e.,
required reading, tests, papers, projects, labs, reports, etc.) assigned before his or her transfer. This work should be completed according to a calendar agreed upon by the student and teacher. In certain situations, the Head of the Upper School/Middle School may mitigate the amount of work to be made up.
OTHER ACADEMIC POLICIES POLICY FOR MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
1. Schedule with the Head of the Upper School/ Middle School. To distribute student work loads and school resources as effectively as possible, the Head of the Middle School coordinates and approves all Middle School major assignment due dates and the Head of the Upper School coordinates and approves all Upper School major assignment due dates. 2. Identify as “major.” “Major assignments” are those that require substantial extra and extended time and independent work. Examples: Grade 11 Synthesis Project, Middle School Portfolio Presentation, research papers, etc. Teachers designate relevant assignments as “major” and make certain that all students understand their designation at the time the assignments are made. 3. Collect at 8:50 a.m. To discourage students from missing school to complete homework, all major assignments are due at 8:50 a.m. Teachers usually make their major assignments due on Mondays. 4. Grade reduction if late. If a student is absent on the due date of a major paper, project, or report, he or she must send the assignment to school with someone else. Major assignments not received by 8:50 a.m. on the due date are automatically turned in to the Head of the Upper School/Middle School who will determine a grade penalty. NUMBER AND VARIETY OF TESTS
To help students perform well academically, teachers should do their best to schedule tests so that students have no more than two tests in one day. Students who are unable to rearrange the dates of more than two tests in a day should see the Head of the Middle School (MS) or the Head of the Upper School (US). To help students maintain academic integrity, teachers of multiple sections of the same course are encouraged to vary their tests and quizzes when all sections do not take the test on the same day. TESTS AND MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS BEFORE EXAMS
To ensure quality evaluation and optimum benefit for exam preparation, all major assignments must be due no later than one week before the start of exams. Unless pre-approved by the Head of the Upper School/Middle School, feedback and grades for all but the smallest quizzes and homework assignments must be collected GUIDE FOR ACADEMICS AND STUDENT LIFE | 15
